November/December 2017

Article Excerpts

Brian Goslow, Managing Editor bgoslow@artscopemagazine.com For the third straight year, we’ve prepared our November/December issue as we were getting set to return to Art Basel Miami Beach, where we’re once again honored to have been invited as an official exhibitor; if you attend this year’s event, look for us in the Magazine Sector and Collective Booth. As a preview to Art Basel 2017, which takes place from December 7-10 at the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center and nearby at ...

INTERVIEW JOHN R STOMBERG, DIRECTOR HOOD MUSEUM OF ART By Marguerite Serkin John Stomberg was appointed the first Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director of the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College in January of 2016. A specialist in American and European modernist art, Stomberg’s experience includes directorships at the Mount Holyoke Art Museum and the Williams College Museum of Art. The Hood has one of the oldest and largest collections of art and artifacts in the United States, dating ...

FEATURED EXHIBITION RESONANT SPACES: SOUND ART AT DARTMOUTH HOOD DOWNTOWN 53 MAIN STREET HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE By Marguerite Serkin As a genre, sound art is still very young, even nascent in its evolution. The wide parameters defining the genre allow for breadth of interpreta- tion and representation within such a divergent range of media and thematic content to be at once idiosyncratic and profound. Curated by Spencer Topel, assistant professor of music in the Digital Musics Program at Dartmouth. and ...

REVIEW PEOPLE WATCHING: THEN AND NOW FITCHBURG ART MUSEUM 185 ELM STREET FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS Flavia Cigliano From the first primitive marks people made to depict their external world or internal reflections, portraiture has been a major form of expression in art making. The genre has existed across centuries, cultures and art movements. The Fitchburg Art Museum’s (FAM) cur- rent exhibition, “People Watching: Then and Now,” is an outstanding survey of historical and current portraiture that reveals the continued interest in ...

COVER STORY STILL LIFE CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY PRINTMAKING 299 WEST AVENUE NORWALK, CONNECTICUT By J. Fatima Martins If Pandora, considered the first human woman in Greek mythology, had been an artist, I’m certain she would’ve been a printmaker. Inside her box or jar, depending on the interpre- tation, she’d have her magical, devilish printer’s tools. From her print press, she’d birth life, always changing, never still. Remaining in her box would be the “hope” for a perfect print. The image ...

REVIEW BE OF LOVE AND OTHER STORIES: CONTEMPORARY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION NEWPORT ART MUSEUM 76 BELLEVUE AVENUE NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND By Suzanne Volmer Newport Art Museum curator Francine Weiss chose “be of love and other stories” as the exhibition title for the current show perhaps to rec- ognize that love of art takes passion. With abundant variety, “Contemporary Highlights of the Permanent Collection” flow throughout the first and second floors of the museum’s Griswold House. The phrase “be ...

REVIEW CLOSE TO HOME ART COMPLEX MUSEUM 189 ALDEN STREET DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS By Suzanne Volmer Because of their tactile quality, there is often a compelling urge to touch the installations in “Close to Home,” on view through January 14, 2018, at The Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, Mass. Expertly curated by Elizabeth Michelman, the show spotlights narrative approaches by nine women artists who range from emerging to late-career talents. Women often define themselves by their relationship to home, with a ...

COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT CHINESE DREAMS BAKALAR & PAINE GALLERIES MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN 621 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS By Franklin W. Liu “The visionary lies to himself; the liar only to others,” F.W. Nietzsche ominously wrote in “Human All too Human,” in 1878; fifteen years later, Mao Zedong was born in Shaoshan, Hunan Province, China. Mao would live for 83 years, leav- ing a bloody genocidal legacy and now prompting a compelling, invidi- ous exhibition, “Chinese Dreams,” — a ...

REVIEW YUAN YUNSHENG: CHINESE MYTH, FOLKLORE AND HISTORY TUFTS UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY AIDEKMAN ARTS CENTER 40 TALBOT AVENUE MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS By Franklin W. Liu Even at 80, contemporary Chinese muralist Yuan Yunsheng is actively producing art while also serving as a mentor and teacher. Yunsheng, born in 1937 in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China, is widely praised for his vibrant, large-scale, narrative-murals resplen- dent with ethnic cultural symbol- ism that are hand painted on-site in America as well as within China, ...

REVIEW MIGRATION AND MEMORY: JEWISH ARTISTS OF THE RUSSIAN AND SOVIET EMPIRES MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS 203 UNION STREET CLINTON, MASSACHUSETTS By Flavia Cigliano Conceived to coincide with the cen- tennial of the Russian Revolution (1917), “Migration and Memory: Jewish Artists of the Russian and Soviet Empires” presents the work of 50 artists, predominantly Jewish, from the pre- and post-revolu- tionary eras. The exhibit was organized by Boston’s Ballets Russes Arts Initiative, and continues the Museum of Russian Icon’s ongoing ...

FEATURED GALLERY FLEXTIME: DAVID KATZ 3S ARTSPACE 319 VAUGHAN STREET PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MUSEUM OF ART OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE By Linda Chestney As we mature in life, we bump up against the certainty of change, growth, life’s fragility and inevitable finality. With time, we loosen our grip on idealism, perfection, control ... because we have no choice. It’s a good thing, but something most of us would prefer to sidestep, but life does ...

TYPE ROSE OLSON: BRIGHT, COOL AND HOT KINGSTON GALLERY 450 HARRISON AVENUE #43 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS NOVEMBER 29 THROUGH DECEMBER 30 By Brian Goslow Just as thousands of artists have used the unique light of Provincetown as their inspiration and muse, so have painters on Massachusetts’ North Shore. Abstract painter Rose Olson, whose collection of “Bright, Cool and Hot” paintings will be featured in Kingston Gallery’s final show of 2017, channels the skies above the water at West Beach in Beverly, ...

EVENTS ART BASEL MIAMI 2017 By Nancy Nesvet At Art Basel Miami Beach 2017, artists will lean, if not jump head first, into the narcissistic pool. You cannot blame them, with environmental disasters worldwide fighting for our attention, and calls for sympathy overwhelming. With hurricanes in Texas, Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, earthquakesin Mexico — all places with a high Latino demographic, like that of the exhibitors and visitors at Art Basel Miami — we are inundated with ...

FEATURED EXHIBITION STEVE LYONS: FALL INTO ART CRUSH BOUTIQUE 264 NEWBURY STREET BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS NOVEMBER 9 THROUGH DECEMBER 30 STEVE LYONS GALLERY 463 MAIN STREET CHATHAM, MASSACHUSETTS By Brian Goslow It’s been a good year for Chatham sculptural painter Steve Lyons; he received six American Art Awards, including second place in the abstract expressionism category for his acrylic on canvas entitled “Women and the Universe,” and his gallery and studio in Chatham, Mass., has enjoyed a successful season. This November, ...

TYPE CYNTHIA ATWOOD: ALPHABET OF WEAPONS THOMPSON GALLERY CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF WESTON 45 GEORGIAN ROAD WESTON, MASSACHUSETTS By Brian Goslow As visibility for an artwork goes, Sorin Bica’s mural alongside the MBTA Commuter Rail stop at the junction of Routes 126 and 135 in Framingham, Massachusetts is about as good as it gets. The Downtown (or Front Door) Framingham Mural Project artwork was painted over a total of two months, start- ing in August 2015 and seeing completion in the ...

TYPE ART LEAGUE OF RHODE ISLAND: 18TH ANNUAL ELECTED MEMBERS ART EXHIBITION BRISTOL ART MUSEUM 10 WARDWELL STREET BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND By J. Fatima Martins A landscape of calm, with bursts of intellectualism and touches of emotive storm, is what you’ll find at Bristol Art Museum (BAM) in the 18th Annual Elected Members Art Exhibition organized by the Art League Rhode Island (ALRI). The overall tone of the exhibition is comfort, beauty, and subtle quiet acts of rebellion. There are ...

TYPE REDISCOVERING AN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF COLOR: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF WILLIAM BULLARD WORCESTER ART MUSEUM 55 SALISBURY STREET WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH FEBRUARY 25, 2018 By J. Fatima Martins When does a historic object become an art object? It is understood that objects move from history into the realm of art and culture when the object’s utilitarian purpose becomes secondary and we appreciate its artistic merit, technical sophistication and beautiful sublime qual- ities. The object can then be displayed alone as ...

TYPE FRUITLANDS MUSEUM 102 PROSPECT HILL ROAD HARVARD, MASSACHUSETTS PORTRAITS & PENMANSHIP: THE APPLETONS IN THEIR OWN WORDS THROUGH MARCH 28, 2018 A NEW VIEW: LANDSCAPES FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION THROUGH NOVEMBER 4, 2018 By James Foritano When we first parked and stepped out on grounds overlooking the Nashua River Valley, I felt a lot like skipping. Whether it was the beauty of the panoramic view, the leisurely 40-minute drive from Boston, or the fact that we had simply pulled ...

KRISTEN STASHENKO: SPACES THROUGH DECEMBER 24 HOLIDAY SMALL WORKS NOVEMBER 9 THROUGH DECEMBER 24 COPLEY SOCIETY OF ART 158 NEWBURY STREET BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS By Lisa Mikulski The Copley Society of Art is offering two shows this holiday season for art lovers in the Boston area. Now show- ing through December 24 is Kristin Stashenko’s solo show, “Spaces.” Beginning November 9, the gallery will also present their annual holiday exhibition, “Small Works.” An award-winning artist and CoSo member, Stashenko provides for ...

FEATURED CENTER THE VELVET MILL ARTIST SHOW: NEW WORKS THE VELVET MILL 22 BAYVIEW AVENUE STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT THROUGH FEBRUARY 10, 2018 By Tom Soboleski The quintessential fishing village of Stonington, tucked in the southeast- most corner of Connecticut, has a stalwart history, including repelling a bombardment by the British Navy during the War of 1812. Its 21st century incarnation embraces the arts in an emphatic way. More than 25 studios hosting an array of artists have a home in The Velvet ...

BUSINESS COLLECTING FINE ART PRINTS By Gina Fraone Fine art prints occupy a somewhat odd place in the art market. Because a print is usually something that can be created in multiples, that can lead some folks to conclude that prints are not to be taken as seriously as other artworks, like paintings and drawings. But to the aficionado, fine art prints are held to the same aesthetic criteria as any other art object. Is the technique used to create ...

BUSINESS UNDERGROUND AT INK BLOCK 90 TRAVELER STREET BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS By Brian Goslow At what point did street art go from being seen by most as an unfavorable blight on a neighborhood to being considered a highly desirable commodity? In 2009, Shepard Fairey was arrested for illegal tagging in Boston and thus missed DJing a sold-out party at his highly-promoted ICA show; in the first part of the 2010s, some Worcester city councilors, upset about an onslaught of destructive tagging ...

TYPE WIND SPIRIT SPEAKS: NINA CHUNG AND PAT SCHOENFELDER MARQUEE GALLERY 74 STATE STREET NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT NOVEMBER 17 THROUGH DECEMBER 16 By Tom Soboleski The old maritime port of New London has been transforming over the past decade to embrace the creative talent it is blessed with. With more than a dozen galleries and studios, the energy is building — from community art to various professional niches. One of those, Marquee Gallery, has already hosted more than 40 international ...

By Brian Goslow With approximately 30 mem- bers, New England Wax’s mis- sion is “to promote excellence in fine art made with encaustic” through professional, juried exhi- bitions. “Shifts: Approaching Encaustic from All Angles,” on view through November 26 at the Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St., Brockton, Mass., was curated by Dedee Shattuck Gallery chief curator Ben Shattuck. “No other medium has as much ver- satility as encaustic, which can encompass two dimensions with depth via its translucency and ...

WITH TAKASHI MURAKAMI By Donna Dodson On Saturday, October 14, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Shapiro Celebrity Lecture with con- temporary artist Takashi Murakami, in conversation with Japanese art histo- rian Professor Nobuo Tsuji, moderated by Anne Nishimura Morse, the William and Helen Pounds senior curator of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Morse and Murakami both studied with Professor Tsuji, and Tsuji worked with Morse to catalog the MFA’s world-renowned Japanese art collection. ...